The present invention relates to a visual field of finder change-over apparatus for changing over a size and shape of a visual field of finder in a plurality of stages.
A visual field of finder change-over apparatuses have been widely known from, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-82882 and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-203933.
The visual field of finder change-over apparatus of Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-82882 comprises a visual field change-over lever which has an annular shape to surround a rectangular visual field of finder of a predetermined size, and a pair of L-shaped and inverted L-shaped visual-field change-over frames both of which are connected to the change-over lever at an outer periphery of the change-over lever. One of the frames extends along two adjacent orthogonal sides among four sides of the visual field of finder, and the other frame extends along the remaining two adjacent orthogonal sides. The pair of visual-field change-over frames move along one diagonal line of the visual field of finder when the change-over lever moves by a predetermined distance in one direction or the other direction from a predetermined reference position.
In this conventional visual field of finder change-over apparatus, the pair of visual-field change-over frames are retracted to the outside of the visual field of finder when the change-over lever is disposed in the reference position. The size ratio of the two adjacent orthogonal sides of the visual field of finder is what is called a high-vision size ratio (for example, the size ratio of the short side to the large side is approximately 1:1.8).
When the change-over lever is moved by the predetermined distance from the reference position in one direction, the pair of visual-field change-over frames move in one direction and in the other direction along the above-described one diagonal line. As a result of this, one pair of visual-field change-over frames move such that they close to each other along one (that is, the long sides) of the pairs of sides of the rectangular visual field of finder, and at the same time move such that they go away from each other along the other pairs (that is, the short sides) of sides of the rectangular visual field of finder. Thus, only the size along the long sides of the visual field of finder is shortened. In this case, the size ratio of the two adjacent orthogonal sides of the visual field of finder is what is called a standard size ratio (for example, the size ratio of the short side to the large side is approximately 1:1.5 or 1:1.4).
Further, when the change-over lever is moved by the predetermined distance from the reference position in the other direction, the pair of visual-field change-over frames move in the other direction and in the one direction along the above-described one diagonal line. As a result of this, one pair of visual-field frames move such that they go away from each other along one (that is, the long sides) of the pairs of sides of the rectangular visual field of finder, and at the same time move such that they close to each other along the other (that is, the short sides) of the pairs of sides of the rectangular visual field of finder. Thus, only the size along the short sides of the visual field of finder is shortened. In this case, the size ratio of the two adjacent orthogonal sides of the visual field of finder is what is called a panorama size ratio (for example, the size ratio of the short side to the large side is approximately 1:2.78 or 1:3.2.).
The visual field of finder change-over apparatus of Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-203933 comprises a pair of L-shaped and inverted L-shaped visual-field change-over frames which are disposed in both corners of a rectangular visual field of finder having predetermined sizes, the both corners facing each other along one diagonal line of the finder, and a ring member which is disposed to surround the visual field of finder and to be movable in one direction and the other direction around the visual field of finder, and which is connected to the pair of visual-field frame change-over frames.
When the ring member is disposed in a moving end in the above-described one direction, the pair of visual-field change-over frames are rotated to make their long sides project into the visual field of finder beyond a pair of long sides of the visual field of finder, and, at the same time, to make their short sides go away from a pair of short sides of the visual field of finder. As a result of this, the length of each of the pair of short sides of the visual field of finder is shortened and the length of each of the pair of long sides of the visual field of finder is not changed. In this case, the size ratio between the two adjacent orthogonal sides (that is, that of the short side to the long side) is what is called the panorama size ratio.
When the ring member is disposed in a moving end in the above-described other direction, the pair of visual-field change-over frames are rotated to make their short sides project into the visual field of finder beyond the pair of short sides of the visual field of finder, and, at the same time, to make their long sides go away from the pair of long sides of the visual field of finder. As a result of this, the length of each of the pair of long sides of the visual field of finder is shortened and the length of each of the pair of short sides of the visual field of finder is not changed. In this case, the size ratio between the two adjacent orthogonal sides (that is, that of the short side to the long side) is what is called the standard size ratio.
When the ring member is disposed in a reference position between the moving end in the one direction and the moving end in the other direction, the pair of visual-field change-over frames make their long sides dispose away from the pair of long sides of the visual field of finder, and, at the same time, make their short sides dispose away from the pair of short sides of the visual field of finder. The size ratio between the two adjacent orthogonal sides (that is, that of the short side to the long side) of the visual field of finder is what is called the high-vision size ratio.
In both conventional examples described above, one pair of visual-field change-over frames move largely in the outside of the visual field of finder when the size and shape of the visual field is changed over. In other words, in both conventional examples described above, a large space is required at the outside of the visual field of finder in order to operate the pair of visual-field change-over frames, for the purpose of changing over the size and shape of the visual field of finder. And, this results in an increase in the external dimensions of the visual field of finder change-over apparatus.
This invention is derived from the above-described situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a visual field of finder change-over apparatus that requires a smaller operation space than that of the prior-art examples, to make it possible to reduce external dimensions of the visual field of finder change-over apparatus.